“Yes, but which one is your favorite?” I ask. He can’t decide; he likes them all.

“Working as a lawyer helps me see how things actually work, which makes me a better teacher; teaching helps me fine-tune how I present a concept. The best writing comes from teaching because you get immediate feedback, and the writing makes me a better lawyer.”

Jim is a well-rounded individual.

Long-time Favorite Teacher

He was the second teacher hired by Center for Advanced Legal Studies in 1987, four months after the Center opened its doors. He has taught most legal classes, but these days, as he does in his practice and his writing, he focuses on real estate law.

I have taught English next door to his class and I can hear the laughter spilling out into the hallway and through the cracks of my closed door. (English is serious business).

“Are you really teaching in there, Jim?”

“I enjoy my students, and I find the best way to teach them is to tell a story. It’s much easier to remember a story that highlights a concept rather than having to retain dry lecture material. Like the time a young paralegal put the wrong address on a document and effectively sold the wrong house. You only do that once. And if you’ve heard the story, you’ll double check your accuracy that much more in future.”

As a member of the Real Estate Educator’s Association, Jim is one of only 100 people in the country who have been identified as a Distinguished Real Estate Instructor.

Highly Accomplished Lawyer

Jim was educated in Texas at the University of Texas and the University of Houston Law Center. He is board certified as a specialist in residential real estate law, as well as commercial real estate law. However, residential real estate law is the area he focuses on in his practice, which has thrived in Houston for almost 30 years.

Nationally Published Author

Jim’s mother was a passionate writer and instilled ability and interest in the written word in her three sons, all of whom are authors. Some of the titles Wiedemer has published are: Texas Agency, Homeowners Guide to Foreclosure, and Smart Money Guide to Bargain Homes. Texas Real Estate Contracts is used as a textbook in over 30 Texas colleges and universities, as well as a reference for brokerage companies, law firms and attorneys. His work has generated national exposure and he has conducted numerous media appearances; he is in great demand as a speaker. He is currently working on an online course for a national publisher to provide training for broker’s licensing.

Adventurer

In his spare time – yes, apparently, there is even some of that - Jim is an avid runner and mountain climber. He runs about six marathons per year and is almost halfway to the goal of running a 26- mile race in each of the 50 states. He has climbed some of the biggest names in climbing lore – Mr. Blanc, Fuji, Kilamanjaro. He was recently in Alaska’s Wrangell-St Elias range, where he and the other climbers made a first ascent and became the first known people to stand on the top of that mountain. All this movement takes strength and stamina, so Jim keeps up a training regimen, working out at least four times per week.

It’s a good thing he’s fit; he has a lot of responsibilities keeping up with his students, clients and readers.